Runner Abducted and Murdered on Memphis Street | Eliza Fletcher Case Analysis 

Scary how you can just be living your life, trying to mind your own business and be healthy, and then that’s it. Someone decides to just end it. She deserved better… Thank you, Dr. Grande for your amazingly insightful and educational videos. They always generate an interested audience 💜

This is so horrifying. When I was 20, a man tried followed me and screamed at me to get in his car when I was walking alone at night to Walmart. On a separate occasion, another man followed me 3 miles on a walk at night, far enough behind me that I only knew when he finally approached me at the end of the 3 miles. It's not women's fault but it is simply dangerous to walk alone at night/ early morning when you're a woman. :(

This is such a sad case, she was only running early, the monster that abducted her should’ve never been out of prison. Thank you so much Dr Grande!

As a woman and a former distance runner, this breaks my heart. She didn't deserve this and this man should have been in prison for the rest of his life a long time ago!

In the 70's I used to take classes at night in SF. One night walking back to my place a man on a motorcycle would not leave me alone, that man insisted that I go with him, I ignored him never responded to him and walked fast. I was terrified. I got very close to the walls of the buildingsand away from the sidewalk looking for protection. There was no one on the street and I was afraid.. The man sped up and waited for me at the other corner. Thank God a policeman saw what was happening, stopped him and talked to him and the police waited until the man left the area. I arrived at my place trembling, terrified, shaking, and now I think what would have happened to me if that policeman had not arrived. I used to worked during the day and went to school at nigh trying to improve myself but criminals always looking for opportunities, When I hear things like this teacher I wonder about this incident I had when I was younger.

The victim in the first kidnapping testified that he was sure he would have been murdered if he hadn't escaped.

The crime and lawlessness in this country is out of control.I have never been so disheartened to live in this country ......and it is only going to get worse.

This guy Cleotha Abston previously spent close to 20 years in prison for a similar "kidnapping", except that in the prior case the victim managed to escape...with the help of a Memphis Housing Authority guard. So practically speaking, prison is the only life this guy Cleotha has known for most of his life...free room & board, medical care, recreation, like-minded comradery, etc. There was nothing for him in the outside world anyway. He's just going back home, plain and simple. What a sad and futile revolving door situation this is! IMHO, the death penalty is completely warranted in this case. Cleotha Abston is remorseless and completely without empathy for others. And in light of his past record and the situation at hand, his potential for "rehabilitation" is ZERO. Again, this is precisely why we have the death penalty.

Stuff like this is why good, nonviolent, decent people....still need to train like warriors. There are evil people... there always will be. It sickens me to imagine a loved one at the mercy of a horrible person.

I was running in a safe area and I remember once a man stopped the car and said to get in. I was so scared, I kept running super fast until I got home. I absolutely hate running in a gym and it's frustrating that the fear of this happening to me keeps me away from something that I love so much.

At this point Dr. Grande is becoming the only level headed news outlet.

Its so strange hearing you talk about my city, I sure hate it had to be like this, Literal minutes from my house, her kidnapping and death really shook all of us here up on top of the 19 year old who went around shooting random people after that.

Very sad. While these attacks are rare, I know a lot of female runners who have been creeped out by dudes following them or just acting weird. Don't run in high crime areas. Don't run alone in isolated areas where you can be ambushed. And if you're going to run with earbuds, leave one out so you can be aware of your surroundings. I'm a runner myself and at 6'3" and 200 lbs, I've come up on female runners who had no idea I was behind them until they saw me pass them because their music was turned up. While I'm as about as dangerous as a teddy bear, some other guy might not be, so be aware of what makes for an easy target.

The man who killed 10 in Saskatchewan with a knife had 59 previous charges. Both of our nations have a chronic problem dealing with irredeemable animals.

As a runner and a mother…this is so heartbreaking…💔

This world has got me looking over my shoulder non stop when I run or walk around a popular park in my neighborhood. I also NEVER run right next to any van, car or truck - I’m so paranoid that I’ll get pulled in and kidnapped! I also tell my daughter to NEVER help anyone carry their groceries or anything to their car. This might be a ploy to push her into the trunk and kidnap her. My husband thinks I’m over the top but at least I’m still alive!

You can’t count on the criminal justice to keep these monsters behind bars. The only thing you can count on is your own personal protection and the protection of your own family. Educate yourselves on being situationally aware and how to properly defend yourself. I learned that lesson the hard way as a teenager being violently mugged on streets that I thought were safe.

Appreciate you pointing out that basically all bets are off when someone is determined to do what they wanna do. Its not the location, person, clothes, ect. A predator is a predator.

This is just heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for her and her family. I used to to prison ministry. In Maxi, there was an inmate I talked to a lot. He was on his best behaviour as it was Chapel. He thought he had me charmed. I knew that man should never, ever get out of prison. But they let him out early because "he did a course" ... and 6 weeks later raped and murdered a lovely 23 year old girl. He went back in for actual life and preventative detention - harsh for NZ standards. If the parole board had just taken notice of who he was and not which courses he'd taken, she'd still be alive.

Truly a tragic case. But it does reinforce that sadly, you can never let your guard down in this day and age. School shootings, random crimes like this, it makes people have heightened anxiety and fear at all times. Thank you Dr. Grande for staying so on top of the most current stories. You are the best!

Being from Memphis, this case and the Ezekiel Kelly situation, has really ticked this city. I have always been a defender of this city, but I have been afraid to do my normal activities and I don't even take my kids with me to the store. I am afraid to get gas or drive on the interstate. This is no way to live.

That's the frightening thing about Antisocial personality; they're always looking for the opportunity, never about whether they should, just when they can.

Never get in a stranger’s car even if there’s a gun pointed at you. Run as fast as you can while screaming and attracting attention even if it gets you shot. Get in the car and you’re dead anyway.

I would say that it's not safe for anyone, male or female to be out alone late at night in a town or city. I was mugged and almost murdered many years ago because I was drunk and on my own. Ever since that incident, I register when I see people walking alone at night. A couple of times over the years, friends and I have had to intervene when women on their own have been harassed by strangers. This type of random opportunity attack is not as unusual as it seems.

What an incredibly sad story....her poor husband, children and family. 😢 Excellent analysis, Dr. Grande. ❤️

This was so heartbreaking. The poor husband was vilified right away

No one is safe, no matter how fit, strong, fast, and smart you are. And, a 120 pound female has almost no chance against a violent and determined man.

I’m in South Yorkshire UK, i got chased by a man whilst out running, I was only 15 at the time and never told anyone because I thought I would be in trouble with my dad as I was out running very early morning and in a lonely place. Luckily for me I out ran him easily. 35 years later I was in that same area and I saw the guy at a bus stop. I recognised him instantly, strange how you never forget someone’s eyes, always wonder if he ever did anything to another person. He still looked like a right creep.

I live very close to where Liza was kidnapped. I’ve jogged there hundreds of times. It’s just heartbreaking. Memphis is beyond sad this week… we love our city and want to feel safe.

RIP ‘Liza’. I am also a Mom/teacher/runner. I love those early morning runs when I can get them in. That monster should have never been released from prison in the first place. What a dumb world we live in. You deserved so much better. ❤️❤️❤️

I used to run after work every day and in the winter it would always be dark before I would get finished and get back home. I lived in Charlotte, NC at the time. I always worried I might be run over accidentally so I wore clothing with reflective decals so the driver of a car could see me. I also had occasional fleeting thoughts I might run into someone someday who might want to do me harm. But despite these concerns I continued running because I was young, physically fit, and I really believed I could outrun someone. I can see how foolish that thinking was. This story scared me to death because I could put myself in her shoes.

Dr. G provides the most extensive, detailed list of Cleotha's crimes, & more details about this case, than Ive heard anywhere else. Much appreciated🤗

this one hit especially hard. Her smile, her ambition, her poor baby boys and students. What will their futures look like? makes me feel like I can’t even leave the house, and that there’s no one you can trust in this world. It’s all so vulnerable and fragile.

Someone in a car tried to kidnap me and my friend when I was 11 years old. This was in the 80s. He jumped out of the car with a knife and screamed at us, cursing at us to get in the car and wielding the knife. It was a split second, there was no thought, we ran faster than we had ever run in our life. He was on the passengers side, so there was a driver. They followed us in the car but we were very young and could run very fast and did not stop when we reached the intersection, which was a block and half away! I was willing to get hit by a car than to get in his car, we escaped going to the nearest house we knew. Please, always be aware of your surroundings. The few seconds you have, the distance of those 7 -10 feet can be the difference between life and death. Never get in a car even if a weapon is presented. Chances are you will die. I wonder how he got so close to Eliza. Was she wearing AirPods? Always listen and be aware of your surroundings. She must of not had time to run. Which means she was caught off guard. Don’t go to places that are isolated or at hours that are too early or too late because businesses are closed and few people are around. Predators go to places where people can’t see you. On my walk that day we walked a street that was quiet with no houses and was at a distance from people. I learned to never do this ever again. May Eliza Rest In Peace. Prayers for her family during this very sad and tragic time.

Great analysis Dr. Grande. When my kids were little, I used to work out at 5am like many moms do for a little me time and feel free. But Eliza's murder really has shook me. She was so athletic if anyone stands a chance against evil it was her. I find it extra insulting he was wearing slides. I hate when evil wins. At least Eliza knocked him outta those stupid slides and it helped to catch him.

Some people deserve to be put in bars forever. Terrifying story for a lot of joggers, prayers to the family

I live in Memphis and definitely not in a great area. This shook the whole city even though this happens all the time here. Women, especially poor black women go missing constantly. We always have to be on guard. This isn’t a case of “teach men to not assault women” (I mean, YES, but men have been the ones to commit violent crimes the most since the beginning of time, let’s raise our boys better) but rather, we live in an impoverished city with a terrible education system and opioid crisis going on. There’s so much murder and violence daily. We have to do better yes, but we’ve needed to do better a LONG time ago. RIP to Eliza; RIP to all the women who have died needlessly in Memphis daily who we never hear about.

Sad case… The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, in more ways than one. I feel empathy for the victim who died. Where were the responsible adults when the killer was 11? Thank you Dr. Grande 🤔❤🇺🇸

I was a person who went to the gym at 4 am in New York. Trains are full. Gym classes are sold out. Sometimes I would doze off. I encountered a homeless man who tried to touch me (people around me yelled as I woke up) I realized it is unsafe and stoped going. This is a terrible story. 💔. So sad. The justice system is at fault for letting him out. She was his victim, it could have been anyone else.

If Kleotha was committing crimes at age 11, deemed 100% violent and sentenced to 20 years, why was he not given a mental health evaluation or taken to the hospital involuntary? He has been in prison so long, it’s what he’s used to and what he wanted too. :( a life should not have been lost

I have lived in this area for 56 years. There's no way I would walk or run in this city morning or night. This is the most terrifying city in America. Be careful y'all!

WTH kind of home did Cleotha come from to kidnap a lawyer at gunpoint at 16yrs old???.... keeps lawyer in trunk for 2 hours while he gets 2 of his friends.

Sending strength to her family. The criminal should be locked up and never released again. I used to practice for 5k's around my block. One day a group of men started catcalling me which made me stop going around the block. It is sad and horrible that people are not safe just running/walking through their neighborhood.

Very good analysis, I like how you explain these cases. In a town close to mine, a woman was beheaded yesterday by her ex . She had restraining order in place. News articles said that both first responders and witnesses needed mental health help after witnessing this. Really shook me

What some here, and she, has failed to understand is that their day doesn't start until 9 or 10 p.m. These aren't regular folk with jobs and normal lives. They sleep all day and are up all night doing what criminals do. 4 a.m. to them is like 2 p.m. to you and me. Thinking that they are normal human beings who go to bed at a decent hour and get up in the morning at 6 or 7 is fatal thinking.

As a woman who has gone for many early morning runs, this story saddens and angers me. There are all kinds of steps I have to take just to go for a run without getting myself attacked. It gets exhausting.

Eliza was so Beautiful my condolences and Prayers to her family 🙏

What a devastating case, my heart goes out to her family. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it, Dr. Grande.❤️

Sounds unnecessarily risky to me. She was targeted by an opportunistic predator. That's when they're most actively engaged in seeking prey.

I was trained to always be aware of my surroundings and always run or hike with at least one other person and my dog. We still have an unsolved case of a female jogger who was the sister of the former local city councilor from over a decade ago. She had jogged into popular hiking path. The last time I was attacked, before getting a dog and running with friends, I rammed my finger into my attackers eye blinding him. I was told to this by a police officer when I had successfully fought back against a serial rapist. My condolences to this young woman's loved ones.

I’m from Memphis, but lived in south Boston in 2014 when Amy Lord got murdered (another running abduction). I also lived in Boston after the marathon bombing. After living in both cities for so long, I find them equally dangerous. It’s so hard to believe there is such evil in this world, especially when you do your best to be a good person. I wish we could fix everyone and find the answers, it seems so helpless.

This is so tragic. So sad for her children.

Events like this are why I don't run, walk, or bike for long distances alone. You just never know what other people are thinking and doing.

I'm 34, live with my husband and two young sons, and often take my boys on stroller walks. What happened to Eliza is so devastating.

In Canada we have something called Dangerous Offender Status that the Crown (State) can acquire for criminals who have repeated violent convictions and are deemed high risk of doing more of the same once their time is served. Once a criminal has that status it means they are not released once their time is served, they can be kept in prison indefinitely.

Love the videos, as always. This is such a grim case. One wants this perp to suffer, perhaps even horribly. Difficult if not impossible to dismiss the impulse when defenseless victims have been senselessly singled out. It is like small scale terrorism. As a humble suggestion, it would be nice to have some videos on the psychology behind these impulses (perhaps referencing some of the many cases you've covered) and also how criminal justice struggles to blend correction, deterrence, and retribution.

Good Friday Evening Dr. Grande, Always glad for a new podcast…familiar with this horrific crime…grateful for your analysis. Enjoy the weekend.

"Prison. It is his home." True! Maybe they'll keep him there "100%" this time.

Thanks for your coverage of this tragedy, Grande. I look forward to your videos every day. Such a great channel. I learn a ton from your videos. Life is unpredictable is so many ways.

Hi Dr Grande. Love how you always up to date with new cases. Great content as always

Moral: Work hard, make good decisions, and move far, far away from this dysfunctional, violent subculture, to places where they cannot follow. Works for us. Here in Wyoming my wife can run any time of the day or night, alone, without fear of abduction by savages. Of course she carries a gun. For the four-legged animals.

Always try to go out of my way to hit the “like” on every video of yours I watch. I know it’s not much in the long run, but your videos are the absolute best and I rarely ever use the like button elsewhere… you definitely deserve way more subs than you have, either way.

Women need to start realizing it's dangerous running or doing anything outside, unless you are surrounded by people... Your analysis is 100% informative..Thank you...

This is such a frightening, sad case! 100% violent and out on the streets stalking a woman to SA, even murder is just something I can barely comprehend! We all think having our phones on us helps keep us safe since we can quickly call 911, yet perhaps we need to carry something more pointy?! Sounds like this poor woman just didn't have a chance once he got her in his sights. I'm thankful that LE tested the sandals/slides for DNA, instead of merely putting them into evidence - also that LE took a missing person's case so seriously. Sure hope he's never let out into society again.

The killer was punished but not corrected. In other words, he learned how to tolerate the punishment, but he was never open to being corrected in his thinking. The thirst to kidnap and kill was still inside him.

So very tragic 😥 Cleotha also claimed to be a gang member, and his father is in prison for 2nd degree murder. Thank you Dr Grande for this video. Take care everyone ❤ Be safe out there. Tell your family 👪 and friends how much you love and appreciate them. 💯 %

I can not imagine my day without watching one of Dr. Grande videos. Great knowledge and insight 👏👏👏

You’ve been killing it with the videos Doc!!!! Love you!

Damn you never stop working Dr grande! And I love ya for it!

Something about this particular case took the wind out of my chest in a panic-stricken sort of way... Life is precious and there are absolute monsters out there, prepared to extinguish this beautiful gift we all are only given once...I can't imagine how the victims family must feel, what those who loved her most are going through. This type of occurrence may be rare, but that will never make it remotely fair OR acceptable. There must be a way to stop even the slightest hint of future perpetrators in crimes of this nature. Our justice system needs to fix itself and direct it's focus toward prevention of these crimes as best as it can, and the true protection of innocence in society. Unfortunately there are too many backward nonsensical processes and motives at play in our current system and we will continue to fill our prisons for the wrong reasons while innocent people die. Even ONE in a billion is too many. What is ONE life worth to you....?

Excellent summary, Dr. Grande. You have a spectacular method of delivery which is always a pleasure to hear.

Eliza Fletcher’s murder is an unfortunate reminder to women and even men. Do not run alone. If you do, do not run in the dark. If decide to do both then equip yourself with a handgun or at least mace. This is in any city or suburb. Violent criminals can live anywhere. Don’t be another victim, protect yourself and be aware of your surroundings AT ALL TIMES.

I was hoping they would find her in time, but sadly knew they probably wouldn't. This breaks my heart for her and her family, but also makes me so angry. Women should be able to go jogging without being abducted and killed. We shouldn't have to plan 9 safety precautions just to ensure we make it back home alive. Why is this the world we live in?

I used to jog early in the early morning. I had a few creeps slow down to stop. I immediately crossed the road to avoid any interaction. These days, I cycle and feel much safer.

Dr. Grande!!! Yes! Thank you for doing this video.

It makes me really believe in demons. Disgusting. My heart goes out to her family. I can’t imagine.

What a beautiful smile she has. I’m sorry for the loss to her husband and kids.

A similar murder happened in Ireland this year - a young woman was murdered while out running but it was in the afternoon in broad daylight - and it happened close to a small town - just illustrates how random these horrible events can be ..

thank you, as always, for spreading awareness and finding the facts!

for somebody like Cleotha, where prison is his home, his safe place... then it's no longer adequate punishment. for violent criminals who don't mind prison... where they just sit and fantasize the murders they committed... not learning a thing. this is where the death penalty come in.

Hate this. Makes me sick. I feel for her and her family, especially the kiddos who will miss mom so much and will eventually have to learn about this horrid tragedy.

Woman can’t run alone, can’t run in the dark, can’t run in certain areas, etc. i used to go running and I chose different pathways and I mixed up my routine for times and I always did it in broad daylight. Until one day I had a strange man tell me when I was riding the bus to college, oh I’ve seen you before, you go running on such a such a road. And I never went running in that neighborhood ever again. Unfortunately it’s not safe for woman. Pretty much in a gym on a treadmill is safe. He shouldn’t have been released from prison, he was a threat. And Memphis as a rep for high crime, It is a sad story.

I had been loosely hearing about this story and was hoping that Eliza would be found safe and okay. Hearing Dr. Grande breaking down the details of this case, it's so heartbreaking. 💔 Poor Eliza. She DID NOT DESERVE THIS! Why that monster was constantly let out of prison, I don't know. I feel for her and her family. RIP. Thanks for the video, Dr. Grande.

I think it's really odd how 20 something years ago the lawyer he kidnapped worked at her uncle's law firm.

There’s a huge elephant in the room here that people won’t discuss because of “political correctness .” Taking his criminal history into consideration I would have to say this is a hate crime .

Dr Grande i appreciate your videos and insight and coverage!

Liza was my high school teacher's cousin. My mother's hairstylist was her neighbor and would speak about her during haircuts. On the way to the UoM campus, my friend and I drove past Liza's memorial, and the silence was palpable. Mere days later, 4 people died and 3 were injured as a man went on a shooting spree. I myself will be pressing charges due to a crime committed against me this weekend. The city of Memphis is aching.

Thanks for your update.. a very similar case happened in Ireland.. it led to many people marching.. check out SHE WAS ONLY GOING FOR A RUN.. Ireland..

Love your videos Doc. The one you did on the queen was very respectful as always common sense.

Another excellent commentary Dr Grande, on an incredibly sad case. As a runner, this is going to make me even more cautious when exercising alone. Can you please discuss the case of Meghan Marohn, a high school teacher from the Albany NY area who disappeared in late March 2022? She was discovered deceased recently and her friends and family are missing her terribly. Your skilled review could be very helpful. Thank you!

Thank you Dr. for doing my request for this video!

I live somewhere relatively safe and this is why I won’t run too early or late, even though practically it would make my day easier. I’ve thought about carrying pepper spray. In the end I just make different plans. The reality of it sucks. I just don’t want to do that to my own boys.

Don’t run at 4:30am And create stricter laws on criminals. Law and order.

Always a pleasure to review and listen to your cases 👍👍

Love your podcasts Dr.Grande.

Such a sad case. You are keeping current, great analysis, working hard. Thanks Dr G 😊❤❤

Cleotha's parents should be really proud of what they raised!

Hi Doc! Love your channel!!

Loving the new layout and presentation

He was released because of good time earned in prison. Federal prisons don't have earned time credit and maybe state prisons should take a lesson here. It seems strange that such a violent individual would not have accrued enough disciplinary actions in prison to keep him in the entire 24 years. I suppose we'll hear about his prison record as the case goes on.